Modern Mining November 2023

Employees capturing critical data on ore samples.

approximately 245 000 t of natural rutile and 288 000 t of natural graphite per annum once at steady state. The rutile-graphite rich mineralisation will be extracted from surface utilising cost-effective hydro-mining to depths averaging 15 m. Ore is transported as slurry via a pumping net work to a Wet Concentration Plant (WCP) where a low energy requirement, chemical-free process pro duces a Heavy Mineral Concentrate (HMC). The HMC is transferred to the dry Mineral Separation Plant (MSP) where premium quality rutile (+95% TiO 2 ) is produced via electrostatic and mag netic separation. Graphite rich concentrate is collected from the gravity spirals and processed in a separate graphite flotation plant, producing a high purity, high crystal linity and high value coarse-flake graphite product. The project has excellent surrounding infrastruc ture including sealed roads, a high-quality rail line connecting to the deep-water port of Nacala on the Indian Ocean and hydro-sourced grid power. For the duration of the operation, rutile and graphite prod ucts will be railed directly from a purpose-built rail dry port at the mine site eastward via the Nacala Logistics Corridor (NLC) to the port of Nacala. Based on the build-out strategy, the operation will com mence in the southern section of the Ore Reserve with a 12 mtpa throughput plant, which will be expanded from year six to increase the throughput to 24 mtpa, the company said. As the southern mineralisation is exhausted, a new plant will be constructed in the north and the second stage WCP moved in order to continue to support 24 mtpa throughput. Critical raw materials Both rutile and graphite are critical to the world economy as well as crucial to decarbonisation solu tions required to meet ‘Net-Zero’ and other targets set by policymakers. Titanium and natural graphite have been classi fied as critical raw materials by the US and EU due to a combination of their scarcity and China-controlled supply chains. Current sources of natural rutile are in decline as several operations’ reserves are depleting con currently with declining ore grades. These include Sierra Rutile’s (SRL) Mine Area 1 in Sierra Leone and Base Resources’ Kwale operations in Kenya.

Global rutile supply is projected to decline sharply beyond 2023, following the scheduled clo sures of Base Resource’s Kwale and SRL operations unless mine life extension is approved (Source: TZ Minerals International (TZMI). There are limited new deposits forecast to come online, and hence supply of natural rutile is likely to remain in structural deficit for the long term, even with Kasiya at full production. Demand for high quality flake graphite and natu ral rutile is growing due to global decarbonisation requirements and current and future predicted sup ply deficits. As per Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, the demand for anodes grew by 46% in 2022 com pared to only 14% growth in natural flake graphite supply. 

The company has invested heavily in solar power for the project.

Drilling underway at the Kasiya project.

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